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Monday, 27 August 2012

10 tips for craft blog topics

So, you've got a blog, but what on earth do you write about?!

I've had several comments on my blog from others wanting to start their own little craft blog but being too unsure of what to talk about. It's all very well making it look pretty (have you seen our tutorials?) but you will need some content. Well, I never seem to be stuck for ideas so I thought I'd share a few.

Here are my top ten ideas for what to write about on a craft blog:

1. Write about things you've made. Tell people a little bit about the items, where your inspiration came from, how you got started making them etc. Include a few pics of finished items. And don't forget to tell people where they can buy them.

2. Blog about things you like. Find things other people have made, or things that give you inspiration, and share photos of them.

3. Join in with Folksy Fridays and Etsy Treasuries. Choose a theme (e.g. yellow or elephants) and take a look on Folksy / Etsy to find items that you like fitting that theme. If you let people know that you've featured one of their items they often come and take a look - it's a great way to gather new readers who've not seen your blog before. Ello Design regularly does a Folksy Friday post, and sometimes features Etsy Treasuries too.

4. Come up with another original way to showcase handmade talent. Find a way to feature some of the sellers you admire. I do folksy five posts to share my favourite folksy shops. Inspiral Silver has a series of posts called Two for Tuesday. Bread and Jam do a monthly Focus on Folksy. Get your thinking caps on!

5. Share what you've been learning. Maybe you've tried a new craft - tell people how it went, share some tips for if they want to give it a go too. Or perhaps you've learnt something about running a little craft shop - show people how to set up a facebook business page, give some tips for using twitter, write about the nightmare you had with your tax return and help others avoid getting into the same muddle.

8. If you're good at making something, write a tutorial. Or link to others' tutorials that you have found helpful. It's great to include lots of pictures showing each step of the process, as well as the finished product. Span's Studio has some great tutorials, and shows how they don't need to be long and complicated, just enough to give people ideas.

7. Blog about your favourite supplies shops. Where are your top places to go to for buying the best buttons / ribbon / paper / beads / ink etc.

8. Add something a little bit different. What did you do at the weekend? What's your favourite recipe? Blog about little bits of your life as well as your craft. Helen Limbrick is great at this.

9. Tell your readers about your favourite blogs / websites. If you've been reading something interesting let others know about it. You could do this as and when you find things you like, or collect them up and do a post with a monthly round up of what you've been reading. Handmade by Emily does a regular 'link love' feature, sharing some of her finds.

10. Talk about events you've got coming up. If you're off to a craft fair let your blog followers know when and where it is as there may be someone local who wants to pop in and meet you. Or perhaps you're going to launch a new range of products, or have a special offer or a sale. Tell your readers what you've got coming up; let them be the first to know about any exciting events you have on the horizon.

I hope that gives you some ideas. If you've just started a blog, leave a comment to let me know and I'll pop over for a nosy.

One of the best ways of gaining further ideas for what to write about is to read other people's blogs and see what they write about. I've linked this post in to Handmade Monday, and there is a fab collection of craft blogs up there for you to browse.

10 comments:

Excellent post! I think everybody worries about what on earth they will blog about at first. It's funny that the more you blog, the more things you find to write about. I think you end up exercising another creative muscle when you blog! My article in this month's Craftseller magazine touches on this subject too.

Both Wendy and Jane are so right, don't spend time thinking about it, jump right in, then your problem will be just not having enough hours in the day to fit everything in! Your blog will really encourage newbies to have a go :)

Hi, thanks for the tips. I am a fairly new blogger, just started in May 2014, though I had to stop for 5 months due to an illness, then there was a bereavement in the family right before Christmas. I am back at it and am comfortable to only blog 2-4 times a week.Come on over and have a look!(Linked to my Google+ account)http://www.quilt-sewhappy.blogspot.comQuilty Huggs,Jacqueline

hi, I love your ideas. I work in a nursing home and do all their monthly decorating. That incudes 3 bulletin boards every month since June 2014. I use my own ideas and they are usually 3-D. Do you think their is a niche for a step by step tutorial of creating unique bulletin boards?

Hi Rachel. Thanks for stopping by. That sounds like a great idea, as there must be others who need to create bulletin boards who would love some inspiration. And it would be a great way to capture all the designs you do. Sounds like you have a great job :-)